Former Ferrari designers reveal stunning revenge

Former Ferrari designers reveal stunning revenge

THE Italian design house dumped by Ferrari has unveiled its spectacular revenge at the Geneva motor show.

Pininfarina is responsible for styling more than 100 Ferraris including 1980s icons in the Testarossa and F40 and modern machines such as the 458 Italia and Enzo.

Ferrari's latest models, including the F8 Tributo coupe and Portofino convertible, were penned by an in-house studio established in 2010.

Sidelined by one of its oldest clients, Pininfarina set about designing the electric Ferrari fighter on show at Geneva this week.

Developed with investment from Indian giant Mahindra, the Pininfarina Battista represents the studio's first crack at its own supercar.

The Batista: Head-turning looks and gobsmacking power.

Powered by electric motors producing an astonishing 1400kW of power and 2300Nm of torque - roughly triple the outputs of an entry-level Ferrari - the Battista can crack the 100km/h mark in "less than two seconds", Pininfarina says, making it "faster than a current Formula 1 race car".

A top speed in excess of 350km/h should satisfy owners ready to spend an undisclosed sum - almost certainly involving seven figures - when the model goes on sale next year.

Wearing attractive bodywork vaguely reminiscent of Ferrari's lauded 458 Italia, the Battista has a carbon-fibre tub and 120kWh battery at its core, endowing the coupe with a claimed 450km of electric range.

The headline-grabbing power pack comes courtesy of Croatian EV specialists Rimac, which sold a series of 1000kW electric supercars before developing even more powerful machines.

Automobili Pininfarina chief executive Michael Perschke describes the car as "the most authentic and exciting automotive story imaginable".

The Pininfarina has a futuristic cockpit.

"The Battista is the hypercar of the future, inspired by a legendary past," he says.

"It combines true inspiration and innovation in its technical achievement and emotional appeal. Electrification unlocks the door to a new level of performance and a zero-emissions future, while a passion and respect for automotive history will define how this landmark car looks and feels.

"We aim for the Battista to be a future classic and automotive icon, writing its own page in automotive history books."

The Mahindra Formula-e electric racing team assisted with development. Pininfarina also sought help from Pirelli and ex-F1 racer Nick Heidfeld in fine-tuning the machine.